July 2019

This week I have the privilege of attending the National Symposium for the Perennial Plant Association in Chicago, Illinois where I’m learning so many new and exciting ideas that I can’t to share with you in the coming weeks. Have a great week!  See you next time.    

My granddaughter and I were playing in the backyard the other day. One minute she was chasing me and laughing and the next she was frozen in one spot with huge tears streaming down her cheeks. I figured her brother had something to do with it (not unusual),  but it turned out that I was …

Liatris spicata, commonly known as blazing star, is at the height of its bloom right now in Kansas City.     A native wet prairie perennial, blazing star is easily grown in average to medium soil that is well-drained. An excellent choice for rain gardens, blazing star tolerates moist soil during the summer, but will succumb …

Yesterday my Monarch Waystation certification and sign came in the mail; I now officially manage the 25,045th registered stopping point for Monarchs. When we get it mounted, it will be the fourth waystation sign in our larger neighborhood and the first one on our street. I’m hoping that some of my neighbors, especially the synthetic …

Lagerstroemia indica, better known as Crape Myrtle, is bursting into bloom here in Kansas City.       Grown as a  4 – 6 foot upright, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub here in the Midwest, Crape Myrtles sport gorgeous rose, red, purple or white colored blooms typically beginning in July and continuing through September. In milder years however, …

Native to Missouri, Rose Mallows are beginning to bloom right now.       Rose mallows, like their cousins swamp mallows, are easily gown in average, moist to wet soils and are ideal rain garden plants. They bloom profusely in full sun, but can tolerate a very lightly shaded environment. Good air circulation is also …

    Enjoy the celebration. See you next week.